December 26, 2024

Just Be Held

October 4, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Hold it all together
Everybody needs you strong
But life hits you out of nowhere
And barely leaves you holding on

And when you’re tired of fighting
Chained by your control
There’s freedom in surrender
Lay it down and let it go

So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away
You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your worlds not falling apart, its falling into place
I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

If your eyes are on the storm
You’ll wonder if I love you still
But if your eyes are on the Cross
You’ll know I always have and I always will

And not a tear is wasted
In time, you’ll understand
I’m painting beauty with the ashes
Your life is in My hands

Lift your hands, lift your eyes
In the storm is where you’ll find Me
And where you are, I’ll hold your heart
I’ll hold your heart
Come to Me, find your rest
In the arms of the God who wont let go

Casting Crowns
Writers: Bernie Herms, Matthew Joseph West

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Do you ever want to just crawl up into your Daddy’s arms and hide from the world?  I know that I do.  And when we are in the middle of a hard situation or a hard season that seems to last forever, it’s so tempting to keep our eyes on the problem and forget to lift our eyes to Him.  He is our Help and Refuge…our Daddy Who loves us more than we can even imagine.

I don’t know your situation but, as a mom, I am expected to keep it all together most of the time and be strong for everyone.  I am the one that encourages each child and try to make our home a safe haven for each one. But there are times that life hits us too, right?  And Who do we go to when we are distressed? God!

You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in Your bottle.
You have recorded each one in Your book.
Psalm 56:8 NLT

Did you read that verse?  It says “all”  and “each one,” that means every tear that you have cried, He has kept.  He has kept each recorded in His book.  And each time you choose to lift your hands in praise in the midst of the hard, He has rewarded you for.  He is the Keeper of your heart and soul.  He is always near to you!  He is always rejoicing over you!

Yahweh your God is among you, a Warrior who saves.
He will rejoice over you with gladness.
He will bring you quietness with His love.
He will delight in you with shouts of joy.
Zephaniah 3:17 HCSB

So today, as you listen to this song, just find rest in Him and imagine that you are being held by your Father….

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Let us pray: Oh God, we come to You today so tired of this hard world.  We just want to rest in You today and get some strength from Your mighty hand. We thank You that no matter how big these mountains can be, that You are bigger and You make a way for us in the midst of it.  I pray today that those who need You will find You and that they will seek You with all they have.  You promise that You will be found.  We love You and we praise You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Korean Sweet and Spicy Chicken

October 2, 2015 by

 

Korean Sweet and Spicy Chicken

This Korean Sweet and Spicy Chicken is GOOD.  My family scarfed it up last night.  If you don’t have gochujang – Korean red pepper paste that is both fruity and fiery – you can add hot sauce instead.  The longer you marinate the chicken, the better, but don’t go more than 24 hours.  You can put this together in the morning before work and come home and cook it.  Serve with rice, a salad, or a full table of ban chan!

Korean Sweet and Spicy Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into strips
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang – or more! – or hot sauce of choice
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons rice or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
  • sliced green onions and sesame seeds, to serve

Directions:

  1. Place the chicken in a large Ziplock bag, or other resealable / Tupperware-type container.  Add the soy sauce, gochujang, ketchup, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, vinegar, and sesame oil.  Mix thoroughly to combine.  Let marinate at least one hour, but less than 24 hours.
  2. In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil.  When hot, add the chicken in two batches, stirring occasionally, and making sure both sides get browned, about 5-8 minutes per batch.  Discard any leftover marinade.  Serve chicken heaped in a bowl, topped with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet

Filed Under: At Home w/ GCH Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

God’s Promises Last Forever

October 2, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

The grass withers and the flowers fall
but the Word of God stands forever.
Isaiah 40:8

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

To everything there is a season.  Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, there is life and there is death.  All of creation is under that curse.  The grass has a life span; then it withers and dies.  The flowers open with beauty and sweet fragrance; then they fade and die. There are storms that break the stems of the plant, and there are floods that drown the grass.  There are also droughts that kill the grass, flowers, and other vegetation.

For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 NLT

This summer, as I walked beside a nearby creek, I discovered a single plant that had the most beautiful little red flowers growing along its stem. I had never seen it before and I have no idea what its name is, but I enjoyed its beauty.  That is until the flowers one by one started to fade and die.  That made me sad.  I’m so hoping I will find it growing along the bank next year, but I have no promise of that.

What I do know is that I/we have the promise, as our devotional Scripture says, that God’s Word will stand forever.

For that is what God is like.
He is our God forever and ever,
and He will guide us until we die.
Psalm 48:14

All He does is just and good,
and all His commandments are trustworthy.
They are forever true,
to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.
He has paid a full ransom for His people.
He has guaranteed His covenant with them forever.
What a holy, awe-inspiring name He has!
Psalms 111:7-9

But You are near, O Lord,
and all Your commands are true.
I have known from my earliest days
that Your laws will last forever.
Psalms 119:151-152

The very essence of Your words is truth;
all Your just regulations will stand forever.
Psalm 119:160

For each of us, there is life and there is death.  For each of us, we will have storms that try to break us, floods that try to drown us, droughts that try to kill us.  Perhaps you are going through one of those periods right now in your life.  If you are grounded in the Word of the Lord—as the flower is rooted in the rich soil along the creek bank—rest assured that the hard times are for a season but God’s Word lasts forever.  The sun will come out, Spring will come again, the grass will grow and the flower will bloom in your life.  We have that promise when we trust in His Word.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear God, we, Your children, thank You for Your Word.  We know You are from everlasting to everlasting, therefore so is Your Word.  You and Your Word are one.  When we are going through seasons of storms or droughts, please remind us by Your Holy Spirit that Your promises are true everyday no matter what.  You will see us through the stormy times, and we will grow and bloom again and be stronger than before.  Thank You, Lord, that Your Word stands forever.  In Jesus’ Precious Name, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

We Have Already Won

October 2, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

So the people shouted, and the trumpets sounded.
When they heard the blast of the trumpet,
the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed.
The people advanced into the city, each man straight ahead,
and they captured the city.
Joshua 6:20

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

I am in awe of our God and His never-ending blessings.  He loves His children so much and He wants to bless each one of us…and He does.  As children, we are taught to tell the truth at all costs.  And if you have been around little children, you know that this is true. They tell the truth—even if it hurts!  But as we get older, we somehow lose bits and pieces of our honesty. One white lie leads to another and then we get used to our new way of telling the ‘truth.’  But God—He always tells the truth and He always keeps His promises.

Some of His promises are conditional, like “If you will ______ … then I will_____.”  This was the case in the Battle of Jericho (read the account here).  The Lord said, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, and its king and its fighting men.”  Can you imagine what Joshua thought? Maybe something like…”It doesn’t look like mine to me!” as he looked at the wall that he couldn’t get through!  But the Lord’s message was that the victory was already his but He wanted him to do a few things first.

Even today, God directs us in ways like this.  In the battles we face day to day, victory is already ours because of our position in Him.  But it may not be in our possession if He doesn’t get our full cooperation. See, God has already defeated the enemy by sending Jesus to die in our place…in sin’s place.  But some of the victories that we have are ours only if we take them.  We have to take that first step sometimes to show that we want it!  Here’s how:

Stay armed for battle — Joshua 6:3-9
God’s Word is a Sword. Our victories will never happen without it!

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
Ephesians 6:17

~   ♥   ~

Always stay on course — Joshua 6:3,14
Never get tired of doing the right thing. Pray every day that God will give you direction and lead you on the right path and that you will never grow tired of trying.

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses
surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight
and the sin that so easily ensnares us.
Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us….
Hebrews 12:1

~   ♥   ~

Always stay together with your army — Joshua 6:13
Surround yourselves with Jesus followers that will help you be the best you. The people that will lift you up out of the trenches and speak truth loudly over the enemy’s lies. Stay in the Church and serve with the body of believers so that the enemy cannot even get a toehold!

~   ♥   ~

Always stay awake and alert — Joshua 6:18
Always avoid the temptations that the enemy sends your way and keep your eyes on Him.  It is so easy to let your guard down and let our foot slip.  We start looking at our problems and we take the focus off of the Problem Solver. We lose hope.  Stay in the Word!  It’s the only way to keep your eyes always on the prize.

The things of this world look and smell and taste so good that sometimes we may slip into the enemies trap.  But God is bigger and He is mighty to save!  Psalm 13:8 says “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.”

I am praying for each one of you to stay victorious!  We need to step out as His children and tell all who will listen that He is The Way!  And remember… you have already won!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Let us pray: Dear God, thank You for loving us so much that You give us a endless supply of grace.  We confess that we don’t always stay close and we do take our eyes off of You and we need forgiveness.  Help us to stay in Your Word and really press into You so that the enemy cannot get through to us at all.  We love You and we praise You.  In Jesus; name, amen.

 

Filed Under: encouragement Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Word of our God will Stand Forever

October 1, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

The grass withers, the flower fades,
    but the word of our God will stand forever.
Isaiah 40:8

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

from the folks over at Fighter Verses.com
click through to go to their website;
an excellent source of great Scripture memorization tools

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

In You I Rest (Be Still My Soul)

October 1, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain
Leave to thy God to order and provide
In every change He faithful will remain
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake
All now mysterious shall be bright at last
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below

in You i rest
in You i found my hope
in You i trust You never let me go
i place my life within Your hands alone
be still my soul

Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last

Kari Jobe
traditional lyrics by Katharina von Schlegel, translated by Jane Borthwick
tune, Finlandia, by Jean Julius Sibelius
additional chorus by Kari Jobe & Jason Ingram

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

<sigh!>  How many times have I encouraged…commanded even…my own heart to simply ‘be still.’  (Or perhaps more honestly: “BE STILL!!!!!”)  How about you?  I know that some of you are going through difficult times. There is doubt and uncertainty in your hearts.  There is turmoil and strife in your homes.  There is worry and fear.  There is unrest in the politics of this world.  There are many, many unanswered questions.

Here are a few passages that I call to mind (and heart!) when the struggle to be still is most difficult.  They help me to renew my mind and come back into His Presence.

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30

Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him.
He alone is my Rock and my Salvation, my Stronghold; I will not be shaken.
My salvation and glory depend on God, my Strong Rock. My Refuge is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him.
God is our Refuge. Selah
Psalms 62:5-8

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace
whose mind is stayed on You,
because he commits himself to You, leans on You,
and hopes confidently in You.
So trust in the Lord
(commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever;
for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock.
Isaiah 62:3 and 4 AMP

But I trust in You, Lord; I say, “You are my God.”
The course of my life is in Your power;
deliver me from the power of my enemies
and from my persecutors.
Show Your favor to Your servant;
save me by Your faithful love.
Psalms 31:14-16

I love this old hymn! Both the lyrics as well as the tune always lead me into His Presence and acknowledging that He IS on my side…and He DOES guide the future and the past…and the hour is coming when we WILL be forever with Him!  Take these promises made to God’s man, Jeremiah, and claim them as your own….

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,
plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you.
You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.
I will be found by you, declares the Lord….
Jeremiah 29:11-14

Sing along with me, friends!  Let us choose to be still before our God recognizing all that He has promised to do when we are in humble submission and in quiet rest at His throne.

in You i rest
in You i found my hope
in You i trust, You never let me go
i place my life within Your hands alone
be still my soul

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Our Words

September 30, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God stands forever.
Isaiah 40:8

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

Words.  How do you use your words?  Do you build up or do you tear down?  When you are angry do you say hateful, hurtful things?  As we have grew up, we may have heard words spoken in anger, tearing us down.  But  we can come back from those words.  We can heal from the hurtful words spoken to us.  James spoke of our tongue, saying:

The tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do.
James 3:5

When we believed that Jesus died on the Cross for our sins, we were made new.  As we read and study the Word of God, our hearts are recreated.  Our past experiences have told us that life can be uncaring, unfriendly.  But our life with Jesus as our Lord  will be vastly different if we choose to learn and discover more of God’s love.

The beauty of God’s Word is it has existed for thousands of years… it ‘stands forever’.  There is nothing which has prevented it from existing.  His words are so powerful, it has been translated to many languages and dialects, enabling people in most all nations to have the opportunity to learn and grow.  God has created pastors to lead us, to teach us, to encourage us.  We just need to sit and learn; then go into the world and share the goods news of the sacrifice Jesus made.

Remember the first time you accepted Jesus as your Savior…the elation, the empowerment you felt when you realized your life was going to be forever.  Do you still have the same passion, the drive to share?  I pray you do.  I pray someone was able to come alongside you and disciple you; and to encourage you with the words of our Father. And that passion within you would grow so you could share His good news with others.

Keep pursuing your passion.  Keep learning, discovering who you are in Christ and you will be rewarded.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

Father, I pray for those who may have lost their passion for You. I ask that they begin to seek You with a renewed fervor to tell others about Your love.  I pray for a light to shine forth, and that we share with others so we can tell them what You have done for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer

September 30, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

The Watches of the Night

I look towards the wintering trees to hush my fretful soul
As they rise to face the icy sky and hold fast beneath the snow
Their rings grow wide, their roots go deep that they might hold their height
And stand like valiant soldiers through the watches of the night

No human shoulder ever bears the weight of all the world
But hearts can sink beneath the ache of trouble’s sudden surge
Yet far beyond full knowing there’s a strong unsleeping Light
That reaches round to hold me through the watches of the night

I have cried upon the steps that seem too steep for me to climb
And I’ve prayed against a burden I did not want to be mine
But, here I am and this is where You’re calling me to fight
And You I will remember through the watches of the night
…You I will remember through the watches of the night

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer

Jesus, draw me ever nearer
As I labour through the storm
You have called me to this passage
and I’ll follow, though I’m worn

May this journey bring a blessing
May I rise on wings of faith
And at the end of my heart’s testing
With Your likeness let me wake

Jesus, guide me through the tempest
Keep my spirit staid and sure
When the midnight meets the morning
Let me love You even more

Let the treasures of the trial                                 
Form within me as I go
And at the end of this long passage
Let me leave them at Your throne

Getty Music
The Watches of the Night
Mrs. Kristyn Getty
♥   
Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer
Music by Keith Getty; Words by Margaret Becker

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

I venture to say that you, too, have had times of sleeplessness, leading you to prayer and remembering ‘through the watches of the night.’  In each of our lives there are situations and circumstances that seem to be are a burden we do not want to bear.

Here’s the Truth, my friend: we are not to bear our burdens, our cares, our anxieties, our worries alone.  Our heavenly Father loves you so much and wants to be the Bearer of your burden.

Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you;
He will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 55:22

Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day,
even the God Who is our salvation! Selah.
Psalm 68:19

He is

  • Jehovah-Jireh (He Who provides)
  • Jehovah-Shalom (He Who is our peace)
  • Jehovah-Rohi (the Shepherd of our souls)

Even to your old age I will be the same,
And even to your graying years I will bear you!
I have done it, and I will carry you;
And I will bear you and I will deliver you.
Isaiah 46:4

I love this promise from my God…it settles my heart each and every time I read it.  He has already done the bearing of any burden I could ever perceive!  As Mrs. Getty writes in her poem,

“There’s a strong unsleeping Light that reaches round to hold me
through the watches of the night.”

Almighty God will carry us throughout any wearisome, worrisome, troublesome  situation we are in.  His promises are true and Amen!

So I encourage you (me, too!) to always remember God’s heart towards us when we are feeling overwhelmed and burdened.  He is faithful to His promises, and He cares for you!

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
that He may exalt you at the proper time,
casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lead Me

September 29, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjvI look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames, I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling, but on the inside
Oh, I can hear her saying

Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can’t
Don’t leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us

Show me you’re willing to fight
That I’m still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone

I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They’re just children from the outside
I’m working hard, I tell myself they’ll be fine
They’re independent, but on the inside
Oh, I can hear them saying

 

So, Father, give me the strength
To be everything I’m called to be
Oh Father, show me the way
To lead them
Won’t You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can’t
Don’t want to leave them hungry for love
Chasing things that I could give up

I’ll show them I’m willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me ’cause I can’t do this alone

Father, lead me ’cause I can’t do this alone

Sanctus Real
Matt Hammitt, Jason Ingram, Chris Rohman

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

How transparent the writers of this song are!  They want to lead their families in the right way—to be a guide, a good example of how to live life.  How much more should we live our life for our families?  With God all these things are possible.  We should have nothing we desire or need.  God will provide all we need.  All the love, support, peace of mind, and joy.

They are wise men to ask for God’s help in leading their families! We can’t do these things in our own power.  We are often too quick to begin to seek our own desires and not keep our focus on God’s.

I am echoing their simple prayer:
Father, lead me ’cause I can’t do this alone.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Your Word Endures

September 28, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

The grass withers and the flowers fall
but the word of God stands forever. 
Isaiah 40:8

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

The word of God stands forever.   All created life is frail and weak and will ultimately come to an end, as we read in Psalms 103:15-16…

As for man, his days are like grass;
Like a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
For the wind passes over it and it is no more,
And its place knows it no longer.

But the word of God stands forever.  God’s promises will be fulfilled, His redemptive truth cannot be annulled or changed.

Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will never pass away…
Matthew 24:35

For all men are like grass and all their glory is like the flowers of the field,
the grass withers and the flowers fall but the word of the Lord stands forever.
1 Peter 1:24-25

The above Scriptures indicate that, like the earth itself, all human glory and attainments come and go…but God’s Word abides forever.  All human endeavours and the prevailing spirit of the world must be constantly judged by the Bible rather than the Bible being judged by them.  Those who bend God’s Word to conform to the intellectual trends and diluted standards of their generation betray the living and enduring Word of God.

Verse 23 of 1 Peter chapter 1 says,

For you have been born again not of perishable seed
but of imperishable through the living and enduring word of God.

And in Matthew 5:18, Jesus said,

I tell you the truth—until heaven and earth disappear—
not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen
will by any means disappear from the law
until everything is accomplished.

Meditate on the Word; cling to it. Do not let it disappear.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

May the blessing of our Lord Jesus, and the sweet fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us now and forever more!  In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
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